One of the UK's largest shop mannequin companies has reported a surge in orders for clothes dummies sized 12 and above.

Over the last year Displaysense, which suppliers some of the UK's biggest clothing chains with mannequins, has seen a 16 per cent increase in sales of "plus-size" window dummies.

At one point the company sold out of larger models as it struggled to keep up with demand, a company spokesman said. In total, sales of large mannequins have risen from 4,600 units to well over 5,000 in the last year.

Okay, so it's just one company, in the UK. And it's just a 16% increase.

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Jim Moody, an executive at Displaysense, says: "We believe the trend is partly due to vintage fashions being back in style, particularly from the 40s and 50s, which suit the hourglass figure."

But the papers are quick to point to Adele and Christina Hendricks. As if these two women invented being not skinny. The Telegraph actually calls the mannequins "Adele sized." Ha. The truth is that the average dress size in the UK is a 16. Ten years ago it was 14. That means that for decades, women — shoppers — have not seen themselves reflected in stores.

In addition to blaming celebs, the news that there's a "surge" in sales for larger mannequins will no doubt be explained as proof that everyone is fat now. But we should remember that what's really happening is the stores are moving closer to embracing what their customers actually look like. Also? Size 12 in the UK is a size 10 in the US. Not exactly record-breaking gargantuaness.